Chapter 3

Penelope leaned against Morgan's desk and tried to relax. She shifted from foot to foot her eyes never leaving the elevator lobby. The team had been gone for a week and she was anxious to see them, especially Dave. She had decided to end this silliness that had been going on between them since the night at JJ's. Yes, he had spent the one night with her and then he and the team had left on a case but it felt like they were still arguing or whatever it was they were doing. She was tired of it.

The elevator doors open and the team spilled out. Morgan and Emily were laughing, Reid looked embarrassed while Hotch and Dave just looked tired. She straightened from the desk as they entered the room.

"Hey Baby Girl," Morgan greeted her.

"Welcome home," she said brightly. "David we need to talk."

"Right now," he sighed stopping in front of her.

"Yes! I'm tired of this," she told him. Hotch went to his office as the rest of the team hovered around Emily's desk. "I wish you would just tell me what the problem is so we can fix it and get on with our lives."

"There is no problem," he said quietly.

"Obviously there is," she yelled at him. "You won't talk to me."

"I talk to you all the time," he replied.

"About work," she bit back. "We hardly spend any time together, you only call when you have to and you don't want to sleep with me anymore!"

"Not true" he said as he glanced around the bullpen. Morgan, Prentiss and Reid were trying to look like they were not paying attention but doing a bad job of it. "We slept together the night before I left."

"Only because I practically begged you," she said indignantly.

"That was begging?"

"Don't be flip," she yelled. "Just admit that you're upset about me spending the evening with my friends."

"I'm not upset about you spending time with your friends," he yelled back. "How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"Then what is it?" her voice broken with emotion.

"You changed the day," he said reluctantly. "You were supposed to do that on Saturday instead you went on Thursday."

"What's the big deal?" she frowned. "JJ had family coming on Saturday. Did we have plans I didn't know about?"

"It was a special day," he relented quietly as he walked past her towards his office.

She stood there frowning trying to figure out what was so special about Thursday. "Can you enlighten me" she said to his retreating back.

"It doesn't matter anymore," he replied over his shoulder. He walked into his office and closed the door.

Penelope looked at her friends. "Anyone know what was so special about last Thursday?"

"Not a clue Baby Girl," Morgan replied. Emily shook her head and even Reid was at a loss for an answer.

Hotch walked out of his office. "Are you two done yelling in the bullpen?" he asked.

Garcia nodded. "Sorry boss." She said softly. She turned and started for her office then stopped and turned back to Hotch. "Bossman, can you think of anything special about last Thursday?"

He frowned for a moment then nodded. "It was Dave's birthday," he said nonchalantly.

Penelope is frozen for a moment then turned to look at her friends in horror. "I forgot his birthday?"

"What are you going to do?" Emily asked.

"First," Penelope said swallowing the lump in her throat. "I need to go beg for forgiveness. After that I am not certain."

She shuffled to Dave's office opened the door and entered without knocking or waiting for permission.

"I'm a horrible girlfriend," she said without preamble.

He looked up at her and sighed. "No you're not."

"I forgot your birthday," she said with a sob.

He shrugged. "It's not that big of a deal."

"Hah!" she spat. "You've been upset with me since then apparently it is a big deal."

He got up from his desk and walked past her to close the door. He took her hand and led her to the couch pulling her down next to him.

"You would think at my age celebrating a birthday would not be a big deal and really it wasn't that I wanted to celebrate getting older," he began. He laughed and leaned back on the couch. She shifted to watch him. "It's silly actually. I haven't had a party in years and wasn't expecting one this time but I wasn't expecting you to forget. For the first time in forever, I have someone special in my life. Someone who, until that day never forgot a special event."

She opened her mouth to speak and he held up a hand to stop her.

"I'm more upset at me for being upset with you," he continued. "I had an expectation in my mind and when it didn't happen I was hurt. But it wasn't and isn't fair of me to hold that against you as you clearly had no idea what was going on. I went to JJ's to try to get you to leave with me so that I could take you out to dinner. I had reservations at a place in DC and wanted to impress you."

"You don't need to take me out to dinner to impress me," she stated gently.

He laughed harshly and held her gaze. "I know. It's just… you do so much for me and I so little for you," his voice was raw with emotion. "I love you."

She leaned towards him and placed her hand over his heart. "I love you too."

"There was something else that I wanted to do that night," he said as he slipped away from her touch and slid to the floor in front of her. "You make me do and say things that no one else ever has. I need you in a way that I have never felt before, Penelope."

He held his hand out to her and opened it laying in his palm was a gold banded ring holding one perfectly formed diamond.

"Stay with me?" he whispered.

She smiled, "Forever."